Fitness has always been a passion for Felicia Hung Atienza. “When you feel well, when you feel alive, when you feel like you’re thriving, that amplifies and magnifies and intensifies everything else,” she says.
The conservationist—she’s the president of the Philippine Eagle Foundation—educator, and lifelong learner says, “Even as a kid, I would play kickball with the neighborhood boys. In high school, I was in the varsity teams for volleyball and basketball. In college, they tried to recruit me for varsity volleyball, but I realized the training was so intense, so I didn’t join.”
Atienza was also a runner for a long time. Now, at 56, she focuses on strength and conditioning and playing pickleball, a sport she picked up a year and a half ago. She says, “There’s research coming out saying that pickleball will mitigate cognitive decline. It will protect you from dementia because you’re constantly thinking.”
Kieran Punay
She plays pickleball four to five times a week, and does strength and conditioning four times a week. “Working out for me is just as important as eating or sleeping. It’s really programmed so it doesn’t feel like it’s an extra chore. I love exercise. It releases all the happy hormones—the serotonin and the endorphins.”
Her disciplined approach to fitness reflects the same dedication she brings to her academic and professional life. Atienza, a dedicated learner who graduated cum laude from Wharton, just earned a master’s degree in nutrition science and policy from Tufts University last year. She’s currently pursuing another advanced degree and is set to graduate from Harvard with a master’s in public health next year.
For her, well-being goes far beyond physical fitness. “We can’t really silo fitness and we can’t silo nutrition. Well-being is very holistic. There are many other pillars—mental well-being, social well-being, emotional well-being, even financial well-being.”
Her lifestyle reflects that philosophy. “I tend not to eat too much processed foods. I eat a lot of very natural foods. I don’t look like it, but I eat a lot. You should see my breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s really big. And I drink a lot of champagne,” she says with a laugh.
Atienza is on a constant quest to improve. “I’m the type, let’s say, in playing pickleball, I want to be a better and better and better version of myself. You just want to make the ordinary extraordinary. That’s always been my motto.”
That mindset has led to real results—on and off the court. Atienza recently won the pickleball mixed doubles championship at the Manila Polo Club. She also previously won the fitness championship at the club. “But I think those wins are just extra fluff. I would say the biggest win would be the joy and the happiness. That really is the essence of well-being. The trophies and medals, those are just secondary.”
Failure is part of the process, says Atienza. “I think strength is allowing yourself to fail big. It’s allowing yourself to make mistakes and allowing yourself to fall, knowing that you are going to stand back up and wear your crown.”
Her children, much like her and her husband, TV presenter Kim Atienza, are also highly active. “I think it’s really about modeling,” she says. “The kids are all very active, because they see mom and dad being active. Kim has long been into weightlifting and biking and now, he’s a triathlete. He actually had a stroke, and that motivated him even more to take care of his health.”
Atienza’s commitment to fitness has evolved over the years. “I think when you’re older, you realize you’re in it for the long game. I try to avoid exercises that will cause injury. Competitiveness will always be there, but it’s really more understanding that it’s a long game. We should match our life span with our health span. We want to grow old and we want to be mobile. We want to be able to walk. We want to be able to carry our grandchildren. And we don’t want to be a burden for our children.”
Age can be a reality check, she says. “You’ll never outrun a 19-year-old marathoner.” But it doesn’t mean giving up. “I’m motivated to exercise. When you’re older, rather than looking forward to growing old, you’re now realizing it’s the reverse. How many years do I have left to go? The focus is really on longevity. That’s one of the motivations, that you want to live well, and you want to have a healthy natural lifespan.”
Kieran Punay
She says, “The science also says that muscle mass and VO₂ max are key drivers of longevity. But that’s the boring science. The exciting part is really the sweating, the fun, the community, and the friendships that you make.”
Photographer: Kieran Punay. Art Direction: Vince Uy. Makeup: Booya. Hair: Patty Inojales.
